Will Bayley, the Paralympian who starred in Strictly Come Dancing in 2019, appeared on This Morning on Tuesday to discuss his experience on the show. He was partnered with Janette Manrara but had to withdraw after six weeks due to a knee ligament injury sustained during rehearsals. Amid recent controversies surrounding the show's duty of care protocols, Will has opened up about his behind-the-scenes experiences.
He revealed that the injury, which happened when Janette asked him to redo a jump following an unsuccessful attempt, has left him with enduring pain. During his chat with Alison Hammond and Joel Dommett, who was standing in for Dermot O'Leary, there was a slight mix-up. Dressed in his Tokyo Paralympics tracksuit, Will mistakenly said he was heading back to Tokyo for the 2024 Olympic Games, instead of Paris.
READ MORE: ITV Lorraine fans fume 'seen it all now' over unusual opening to show MORE TV: GMB's Richard Arnold shares major Strictly update but pleads 'don't shoot the messenger' Will and fellow Paralympic gold medallist Rob Davies are part of an 11-strong team representing ParalympicsGB in table tennis at Paris 2024. After realising his error, Will corrected himself, saying: "Ah I mean Paris. I'm wearing my Tokyo tracksuit thats why I said it.
" Discussing his time on Strictly, Will confessed that he "didn't have an issue" with Manrara, who now co-presents the companion show It Takes Two. However, he felt the pressure from the show's producers was to blame for the incident, reports the Mirror . "Ultimately, I think she was under a lot of pressure by the bosses to perform a certain way and I think it was them pushing me that caused the accident," he said, but added: "I feel she could have protected me more.
.. It was mentally hard and I didn't want to let her down.
" A representative for Manrara responded: "Janette had a great time dancing with Will and one of her favourite moments on the show was doing their contemporary couples choice." "Her celebrity partner's safety and enjoyment was always the priority throughout her time on Strictly . Janette has never received any complaints and has maintained friendships with all her partners, including Will.
" This Morning is on ITV on weekdays at 10am.
